Amends 312 IAC 9-7-6 to replace the minimum size limit of 12 inches for black bass taken from rivers or streams, except in rivers and streams in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Clark, Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, and Dearborn counties, with a requirement that black bass taken from rivers and streams be less than 12 inches long or greater than 15 inches long, with not more than two black bass being greater than 15 inches long. Effective 30 days after filing with the Publisher.

Sec. 6. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an individual may take or possess not more than five (5) black bass in aggregate per day.

(b) An individual may take or possess not more than three (3) black bass from Lake Michigan in aggregate per day. An individual must not possess more than three (3) black bass in aggregate while fishing in or on Lake Michigan.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an individual must not take or possess a black bass except: as follows:

(2) if taken from rivers or streams, except as stated in subdivision (c)(1)[subdivision (1)], the black bass must be greater than fifteen (15) inches long or less than twelve (12) inches long, with not more than two (2) being greater than fifteen (15) inches; or

(2) the black bass is fourteen (14) inches(3) if taken from lakes or reservoirs (including Lake Michigan), the black bass must be at least fourteen (14) inches long.

(d) An individual may take or possess largemouth bass of any length in the following lakes:

(1) Brownstown Pit in Jackson County.

(2) Burdette Park Lakes in Vanderburgh County.

(3) Chandler Town Lake in Warrick County.

(4) Cypress Lake in Jackson County.

(5) Deming Park Lakes in Vigo County.

(6) Garvin Park Lake in Vanderburgh County.

(7) Glen Miller Pond in Wayne County.

(8) Hayswood Lake in Harrison County.

(9) Henry County Memorial Park Lake in Henry County.

(10) Hovey Lake in Posey County.

(11) Krannert Lake in Marion County.

(12) Lake Sullivan in Marion County.

(13) Ruster Lake in Marion County.

(14) Schnebelt Pond in Dearborn County.

(e) An individual must not take or possess a largemouth bass unless the largemouth bass is less than twelve (12) inches long or more than fifteen (15) inches long from the following designated lakes:

(1) Buffalo Trace Lake in Harrison County.

(2) Celina Lake in Perry County.

(3) Indian Lake in Perry County.

(4) Saddle Lake in Perry County.

(5) Scales Lake in Warrick County.

(6) Shakamak State Park Lakes in Clay County, Greene County, and Sullivan County.

(7) Tipsaw Lake in Perry County.

(8) Ferdinand State Forest Lake in Dubois County.

(9) Montgomery City Park Lake in Daviess County.

(f) An individual may take or possess not more than one (1) largemouth bass from Turtle Creek Reservoir in Sullivan County. An individual must not take or possess a largemouth bass from Turtle Creek Reservoir unless the largemouth bass is at least twenty (20) inches long.

(g) An individual may take or possess not more than five (5) largemouth bass in aggregate per day from Patoka Lake in Orange, Crawford, and Dubois counties or Dogwood Lake in Daviess County. An individual must not take or possess a largemouth bass from Patoka Lake or Dogwood Lake unless the largemouth bass is at least fifteen (15) inches long.

(h) An individual must not take or possess a largemouth bass from Harden Lake in Parke County unless the largemouth bass is at least sixteen (16) inches long.

(i) An individual must not take or possess more than two (2) largemouth bass per day, and an individual must not take or possess a largemouth bass unless the largemouth bass is at least eighteen (18) inches long from the following designated waters:

(1) Tri-County State Fish and Wildlife Area.

(2) Robinson Lake in Whitley County and Kosciusko County.

(3) Ball Lake in Steuben County.

(4) Gibson Lake in Gibson County.

(5) Loon Pit at Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife Area in Warrick County.

(6) Bluegrass Pit at Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife Area in Warrick County.

(j) An individual must not take or possess more than five (5) black bass in aggregate per day from the Blue River located in Crawford and Harrison and Washington counties. Each black bass taken from the Blue River in Crawford and Harrison and Washington counties must be less than twelve (12) inches long or more than fifteen (15) inches long but not more than two (2) per day can be taken that are longer than fifteen (15) inches.

(k) An individual may take or possess not more than one (1) black bass from Sugar Creek located in Parke, Montgomery, Boone, Clinton, and Tipton counties per day and the black bass must be at least twenty (20) inches long.

(l) If this section prohibits an individual from taking or possessing a black bass from a specified water of the state, an individual must not possess a black bass of the prohibited class on or adjacent to the specified water of the state.